Ferry service in Lynn Canal between January 4 and March 1 may be limited to stops by the Columbia on its Bellingham, Wash.-Skagway run, according to the proposed winter schedule now out for public comment.
Comments are due by Friday, Aug. 26 and can be made by email to [email protected] or sent directly to the state at publicinput.com/G6532. They also can be faxed to 907-228-6873.
At press time, the state had logged about 60 comments from concerned citizens, including from Haines residents.
Jim Blilie wrote: “There’s a large number of people who live in Haines and Skagway that rely on the ferry system to get to and from work, especially in the winter. Not running the ferry could potentially cost those families their livelihood, not to mention people who need health care and other services not available in our small communities.”
Blilie noted that air service in Lynn Canal often is limited during winter.
Alaska Marine Highway spokesman Sam Dapcevich said that the proposed winter schedule shows Lynn Canal service in January and February provided by the ferry Tazlina “pending crew.”
Dapcevich said the ferry system may shift crew from other ships to provide Lynn Canal service, but he couldn’t confirm Tazlina sailings with certainty. “The intention is that (Tazlina) will sail.”
The Tazlina would follow the ferry LeConte’s regular schedule minus stops in Pelican and Tenakee, he said. The Columbia would sail the ferry Matanuska’s schedule minus stops in Kake.
Dapcevich acknowledged that recent concerns about service may stem in part from the lack of a detailed proposed schedule showing actual stops. He said the ferry service hoped to produce that schedule in advance of the Aug. 26 comment deadline.
For additional information, call Dapcevich at 907-465-4503.